The musicologist Robert "Mack" McCormick opined that Hopkins is "the embodiment of the jazz-and-poetry spirit, representing its ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act".
Hopkins was born in Centerville, Texas, and as a child was immersed in the sounds of the blues. He developed a deep appreciation for this music at the age of 8, when he met Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic in Buffalo, Texas. That day, Hopkins felt the blues was "in him".[citation needed] He went on to learn from his older (distant) cousin, the country blues singer Alger "Texas" Alexander. (Hopkins had another cousin, the Texas electric blues guitarist Frankie Lee Sims, with whom he later recorded.) Hopkins began accompanying Jefferson on guitar at informal church gatherings. Jefferson reputedly never let anyone play with him except young Hopkins, and Hopkins learned much from Jefferson at these gatherings.
Hopkins's style was born from spending many hours playing informally without a backing band. His distinctive fingerstyle technique often included playing, in effect, bass, rhythm, lead, and percussion at the same time. He played both "alternating" and "monotonic" bass styles incorporating imaginative, often chromatic turnarounds and single-note lead lines. Tapping or slapping the body of his guitar added rhythmic accompaniment.
Much of Hopkins's music follows the standard 12-bar blues template, but his phrasing was free and loose. Many of his songs were in the talking blues style, but he was a powerful and confident singer.[citation needed] Lyrically, his songs expressed the problems of life in the segregated South, bad luck in love and other subjects common in the blues idiom. He dealt with these subjects with humor and good nature. Many of his songs are filled with double entendres, and he was known for his humorous introductions to songs.
Hopkins died of esophageal cancer in Houston on January 30, 1982, at the age of 69. His obituary in the New York Times described him as "one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players.".
Last Affair
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics
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I found out you were leavin' me baby, leavin' on the next train that runs
Now tell me how you can go away, darlin' not a thing that I have done
But if you just gotta go, don't bother me to worry too well
But if you just gotta go, don't bother me to worry too well
Yes, I hope that you'll be happy, whenever I get over there
I guess I'll say goodbye, this will be my last affair
I guess I'll say goodbye, this will be my last affair
Just a singin' for my baby, for a man to walk away
Just a singin' for my baby, for a man to walk away
Yes, she leaves my home, and I've done everything
I could to make her stay
The lyrics of Lightnin' Hopkins's song Last Affair express the singer's pain and confusion upon learning of his lover's impending departure on the next train. He cannot understand why she is leaving him, as he feels he has done nothing wrong. However, he nevertheless wishes her happiness, even though he himself is hurt by this last affair. The singer tries to comfort himself by proclaiming that if she wants to go, he won't bother worrying too much about it.
The simplicity and honesty of the lyrics are in keeping with Hopkins's trademark style of country blues, which eschews elaborate metaphors or elaborate arrangements in favor of emotional directness. The song's mournful melody, anchored by a simple guitar line, underscores the singer's sense of loss and regret. Yet, despite the sadness of the song, there is a sense of acceptance and resignation here, as the singer realizes that this will in fact be his last affair with this woman.
Line by Line Meaning
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JULES BIHARI, LIGHTNIN` HOPKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joe N
Such an amazing artist.
Vince Lombardi
Love the blues!
Larry Thompson
That is what l call the blues...